Business View Civil and Municipal | April/May 2022

27 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 website and even a shopping app to build local customer loyalty. “We were able to pivot the campaign into a program that kept a lot of our retailers’ doors open. We were able to persevere, and even thrive, as a community,” says Ellis. Fairview Heights has a super-regional mall but lacks an official town square or main street. Mayor Kupsky recognized this lack so, when he was elected in April 2015, he came up with a vision for The REC, a major new recreation complex & community center. “I wanted to show residents how we can add to their quality of life while also investing in the community. It’s been very successful and has energized residents about the extra amenities we have for them here, and we’ve been able to do it all without levying local property taxes.” The 58,000-square-foot complex offers a full spectrum of activities including basketball courts, a Clip ‘N Climb wall, and even a lazy river. Mayor Kupsky adds, “It’s located on the city’s western side, which is the older section of the community. Since it opened in May 2019, the property values in that area have gone up. That used to be a mostly senior neighborhood, but now we’re seeing more young people because they like the historic homes. There’s continued investment in those properties. It’s exciting to know we did something as a community that is benefiting all our residents.” Since Fairview Heights is landlocked amidst several surrounding cities and villages, most future growth won’t come from annexation. Major development began in the mid- 1970s with the construction of Interstate 64 (I-64),completed it in 1977, and through the 1980s providing adequate housing stock for the influx of new residents was a challenge. Since then, the city has done what it can to maintain a robust inventory of housing options, ranging from simple to historic to affluent; for example, homes in the upscale Stonewolf Golf Club are situated around the Jack Nicklaus designed FA I RV I EW HE IGHTS , I LL INOI S